Jaap, once an Amsterdam contractor, now a winemaker in the Algarve

When flipping through the manuals on winemaking, almost everyone immediately wears a dubious expression and thinks, “let’s not embark on that journey!”

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The appreciation for Portuguese wine in the Algarve was minimal, but that didn’t deter me, Jaap Honekamp, from closing his contracting business in Amsterdam in 1998 and starting winemaking in the Algarve.

It took some time because, as a Dutchman in Portugal, you simply have to reinvent the wheel. Finally, in 2011, the first high-quality harvest came from the then 2-hectare vineyard. After much searching, we ended up at the CVA (Comissao Vitivinicola do Algarve) in 2012 for the official registration of our wines. From that moment on, we produce the JAAP wines, Vinho Regional Algarve.

From the very beginning, we chose to make organic wines. A vineyard without chemicals and wines without additives, prepared and fermented in a traditional way using the natural yeast cells present on the grapes. An honest product, wine from our own terroir, with the only added flavor coming from the oak barrels.

The soil in Silves, where our vineyard is located, consists of beautiful red clay full of stones and minerals. This contributes to the rich flavor and deep color of all our wines.

We cultivate 8 different types of red grapes and 1 type of white grape. This results in various wines every year, sometimes blended and sometimes bottled separately. Our wines are made in amphorae, on American and French oak, and in stainless steel tanks. Our white wine, a delightful Chardonnay, is not aged in oak and is full, fresh, and fruity. Our rosé is pressed exclusively from the Syrah grape, has a beautiful deep pink color, and, like all our other wines, has a rich flavor.

With 4 hectares of vineyard rights, an additional 2 hectares of grapevines were planted in 2012. One of the varieties, Chardonnay, has an amazing taste. So, owning a vineyard always remains an adventure. Every year again and again!